Narratives of Same-Sex Couples Who Had Civil Unions in Vermont: The Impact of Legalizing Relationships on Couples and on Social Policy

Quantitative surveys often end with an item asking respondents to write in “additional comments,” and this study analyzed these narrative comments of 659 women and men in same-sex couples who had civil unions in Vermont during the first year of that legislation. Our research question was to examine which novel themes not covered by the questionnaire subscales respondents would bring up in their narratives. For many couples, the civil union was a powerful event, resulting in psychological and tangible benefits, as well as improved relationships with family of origin. Respondents described their efforts to publicize the civil union or display the certificate in their homes. Other couples wrote about why the civil union was less important than their commitment ceremony, did not reflect the longevity of their relationship, or were not recognized by family members. Finally, many respondents wrote about political activism to change policies for same-sex couples. Many researchers use a similar type of requests for additional comments at the end of quantitative questionnaires without ever analyzing such comments, yet narrative analysis of these comments is extremely valuable for understanding how participants view their own experiences, for making policy decisions, and as a topic for further study.